Claude Camilleri grew up in Marsa, went to school at Savio College followed by Sixth Form at Stella Maris College. He became a Salesian and went to study in Ireland then he returned to Malta for a year, abandoned his pursuit of religion and left for Oz. There he spent two years following an audio engineering degree. He then moved to the UK to teach audio engineering and also set up his own private colleges in London and Milan. Claude decided to give his business away and went back to university in London to do his MBA. He lived in Milan for two years, worked in Monaco for a year followed by Hamburg and finally Denmark where he met his present wife, a doctor who still works in Copenhagen. There he worked as a Risk Analyst and then switched to journalism. Claude toured the world many times over. He finally decided that life is too beautiful to be experienced in the fast lane so he returned to Malta and is now based in one of the most idyllic restaurants here – Palazzo Santa Rosa in Mistra.

n How old are you? Star sign and date of birth?

I’m 42, a true Scorpion, born on 9 November 1993.

n What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?

More of what I am doing with my wife beside me.

n What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Perfect food, wine in the company of my wife and my family, my sisters and their families.

n What is your favourite occupation?

Being a chef is great. It gives you so much opportunity to be creative and push boundaries. If I was not a chef I would have loved to become an

architect.

n What is your greatest fear?

Disease, but more specifically mental illness. When you are mentally ill, you are there alone in a very dark and inaccessible place. Second greatest fear is losing my wife.

n What is it that you most value in your friends?

Loyalty.

n How would you like to die?

Not too slowly... and owing the bank a lot of money.

n What is your greatest extravagance?

Ooh, do I have to answer that? My life is quite extravagant. Every day I drink at least one glass of champagne and eat amazing food. I also give my customers the same extravagance.

n What is your greatest regret?

Getting married the first time. How could anyone do such a grave mistake? Well, I did. And to this day I live to pay the price of that mistake through heartache. Learnt to live with it though. I learnt a lot.

n What is your most treasured possession?

I am not a materialistic person. So I own little or nothing. Once I gave my car away, no, three times. Material things tie you down. I travel light so that if I want to move on, I can. Recently I asked my son to join me in Malta and he said he couldn’t because he had so many things, his motorbike, his Plasma TV, computer. Poor soul, and he is so young.

n Which talent would you most like to have apart from the ones you already have?

A painter, as in Rembrandt.

n What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Loneliness.

n Where would you like to live?

I like it here but I enjoyed every city I lived in. I have a special place in my heart for Dublin and Copenhagen.

n What is your most marked characteristic?

Double chin and overweight… I suppose I am very forgetful, generous, helpful. My dad used to say to me, be nice to people because you may meet them twice in your life: on your way up and on your way down.

n Who are your heroes/heroines in real life?

Muhammed Ali. What a human being! Ray Charles is another one. I am not ashamed to say that when I saw him in concert he made me cry.

What is it that you most dislike?

Bad taste, ignorance, bad manners, crassness, cheap things, fake things and people, junk food, bad food, bad wine, pushy people, excessive heat, laziness, dishonesty and cheats.

What is your motto?

I do not live my life by mottos. I have principles that I stick to.